Mom, Kids, and Nowhere to Go by Casey Quinlan

[justaprogressive]

Families are one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population, but they are rarely acknowledged in the larger policy conversation about homelessness in the U.S. Instead of living on the street, they’re often out of sight, staying with other family members or living in their cars. People don’t truly notice them the way they see chronically homeless individuals living on the street, people who work with homeless families say.

“You often see the chronic street homeless who suffer from mental illness because it is more in your face … [Families] end up doubled up in situations and we just don’t end up counting them as homeless,” said Peter Jacob, executive director of Family Promise Union County in New Jersey.

Unhoused families, like everyone else who is unhoused, are facing renewed financial pressures as social programs and housing support that was already woefully insufficient is stripped down under the Trump administration and wages fail to keep up with the hefty cost of apartments. But they also have to contend with the higher costs of supporting kids, like finding an apartment with more bedrooms or paying for child care. Families who can’t afford child care are often penalized with underemployment and financial instability that also puts them at risk of eviction, workers at groups serving homeless families explained.

Jacob said it’s time that policymakers prioritize family homelessness as much as other forms of individual chronic homelessness.

During the 2022-2023 school year, public schools identified nearly 1.4 million homeless students, which was a 14 percent rise from the previous school year. But schools are likely under-identifying the number of kids who are homeless. From 2023 to 2024, families with children had the biggest year-over-year increase in homelessness compared to any other group.

https://prospect.org/2026/04/13/apr-2026-magazine-mom-kids-nowhere-to-go-family-homelessness/

[CrispyQ]

1. Believe the children.

Unless they tell you they're hungry & don't have a bed to sleep in. Then you tell them, "You're on your own."

During the 2022-2023 school year, public schools identified nearly 1.4 million homeless students, which was a 14 percent rise from the previous school year. But schools are likely under-identifying the number of kids who are homeless. From 2023 to 2024, families with children had the biggest year-over-year increase in homelessness compared to any other group.

This is so heartbreaking.